SEM 1

Cards (184)

  • Species
    A group of morphologically similar organisms that are capable of interbreeding to produce fertile offspring
  • Ecosystem
    An interacting community of populations of organisms and the physical environment in which they live
  • Ecosystems
    1. Life on earth is connected through the cycling of nutrients and the transformation of energy though food webs
    2. Ecosystems are generally homogenous but some may vary
  • Levels of Biodiversity
    • Genetic diversity
    • Species diversity
    • Ecosystem diversity
  • Genetic diversity
    The diversity of genes within a particular species, important for evolutionary processes
  • Populations with higher genetic diversity
    Are more resilient and more likely to survive sudden changes in the environment than populations with low genetic diversity
  • Species richness

    The number of species per sample
  • Species evenness
    Proportions of species per sample, the more equal species are in proportion the greater the evenness
  • Biodiversity index

    Number of species in the area / total number of individuals in the area
  • Factors affecting Biodiversity
    • Size
    • Abiotic factors
    • Biotic factors
  • Limiting factor
    A factor that restricts the size of a population from reaching it's full potential
  • Biodiversity Hotspot
    Areas that support natural ecosystems that are largely intact and where native species and communities associated with these ecosystems are well represented, with high diversity of locally endemic species, but suffer threats from outsiders
  • Hierarchy of classification
    • Scientists classify organisms into a number of groups that form a hierarchy or series of levels known as taxa or taxonomic
    • Domain
    • Kingdom
    • Phylum
    • Class
    • Order
    • Family
    • Genus
    • Species
  • Domain
    Three domains: Eukaryotes called Eukarya and prokaryotes called Archaea and Bacteria
  • Eukaryotes
    • Contain DNA within a nucleus and membrane bound organelles
  • Prokaryotes
    • No nucleus or membrane bound organelles
  • Bacteria
    Microscopic single celled organisms
  • Archaea
    Microscopic single celled organisms known for living in extreme environments
  • Kingdoms
    • Animalia
    • Plantae
    • Fungi
    • Protista
    • Archaea
    • Bacteria
  • Animalia
    • Multicellular, no cell wall
  • Animalia
    • Jellyfish, worms, fish, frogs, reptiles, birds, mammals
  • Plantae
    • Multicellular, have cell walls
  • Plantae
    • Algae, fern, moss, flowering plants
  • Fungi
    • Multicellular, have cell walls but no chlorophyll
  • Fungi
    • Moulds, mushrooms, yeast
  • Protista
    • Unicellular, with a nucleus
  • Protista
    • Amoeba, paramecium
  • Archaea
    • Unicellular, no nucleus, known for living in extreme environments
  • Archaea
    • Halobacterials, methanobacterials
  • Bacteria
    • Unicellular, no nucleus
  • Biological Species concept
    Organisms that are morphologically similar and can reproduce to create fertile offspring
  • Morphological Species concept
    Organisms that look morphologically similar can be grouped into the same species
  • Phylogenetic species concept
    Organisms can be traced back to a common ancestor
  • Phylogenetic trees
    • Represent hypotheses about evolutionary relationships among a group of organisms
    • The length of a line on a phylogenetic tree represents time
  • Cladograms -
    • Each clade consists of an ancestral organism and all of its evolutionary descendants
    • Members of a clade will possess common characteristics as a result of their shared evolutionary lineage.
    • The length of the line on a cladogram does not represent time.
    • A node on a cladogram represents a common ancestor and therefore a speciation event.
    • A branch represents the appearance of a new characteristic/trait.
    • The tips on the trees represent different taxa.
    • Monophyletic- taxa plus common ancestor.
    • Paraphyletic- taxa that does not include all descendants on a branch
    • Polyphyletic- taxa that does not include common ancestor
  •  
    Biomes:
    • Biomes are categorised by major variations in vegetation type, climate, topography and soil type.
    • Ecosystem- an area where there are interactions between the environment and its community.
    • Community- all the living things inhabiting an area/environment at one particular time.
    • Environment- the abiotic and biotic components of an area.